A poignant link between the Submarine Service and a pub in the North-East of England has been revived at a ceremony in Gosport.

John Scott, the manager of the Astley Arms pub in Seaton Sluice travelled down to the South Coast to lay a wreath at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum – and to pick up a special bottle of whisky.

The significance of the whisky – Johnnie Walker Red Label – dates back to the early months of World War II, when submarines were operating from the port of Blyth, in Northumberland, not far from Seaton Sluice.

On Christmas Eve in 1939 a group of submariners from the Sixth Submarine Flotilla, based in Blyth, visited the Astley Arms.

The seven Petty Officers took part in a raffle, and one of their number, PO Tug Wilson of HMS Seahorse, won a bottle of Red Label. As his boat was leaving on patrol within a couple of days, PO Wilson asked the landlady, Lydia Jackson, to keep hold of it until he returned to claim the prize.

But Seahorse, commanded by Lt Cdr Massey Dawson, never returned. She was due back in her home base on January 9, 1940, but was thought to have been sunk in one of the many minefields laid by the Germans in the Heligoland Bight.

She was the first British submarine of the war to be lost with all hands – but by no means the last. The Submarine Service lost one in three of its boats in the war, prompting Winston Churchill to describe service in submarines as “the most dangerous of all His Majesty’s forces.”

Tug Wilson’s bottle remained unopened in Lydia’s safekeeping until she retired in 1964 in her 70s, and it was then given to the RN Submarine Museum, where it took pride of place.

The Astley Arms has always maintained the link with the Submarine Service, and had a corner dedicated to the relationship with HMS Seahorse.

In 1976 the Commanding Officer of submarine HMS Otter, Lt Cdr Daniel Conley, presented a bottle of Red Label and a plaque to the pub as a reminder of the wartime raffle prize, but during a recent refurbishment of the pub the ‘Otter bottle’ and other items were stolen.

John Scott, formerly assistant manager at the Astley Arms, and who took over as manager at the pub last autumn, was aware of the significance of the connection, and was determined to restore the links.

He contacted the Submarine Museum towards the end of 2003, and wheels were set in motion.

The result was a long drive South for John and assistant manager Faye Ormston, who took part in a brief ceremony in memory of the Seahorse – 64 years to the day since she should have returned from her fatal patrol - and to all submariners who died in the service of their country.

Also in attendance was Lt David Filtness, Flag Lieutenant to Rear Admiral Submarines, Rear Admiral Niall Kilgour.

At the ceremony, Jeff Tall, Director of the Museum, said: “Because of the inherent danger, it was essential that during their time in harbour before they risked their lives on yet another patrol, submarine crews were able to relax, rest and play in cheerful and welcoming surroundings.

“This they found in abundance in the town of Blyth, who I know regarded their submariners with great affection, and particularly at the Astley Arms and the pub’s wonderful landlady, Miss Lydia Jackson.”

Later, inside the museum, Mr Scott was given a presentation bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label by Rak Angras, a Business Development Executive from Diageo, and the invited guests had a chance to see the original bottle – described by Jeff Tall as “one of the most poignant artefacts in our collection.”

Mr Angras assured those gathered the whisky in the bottle would not have deteriorated since it was first produced.

“The bottle, in a presentation box, was specially couriered down from Scotland for this occasion,” said Mr Angras. “It is good to be involved in this sort of story, and I shall certainly be making sure people at Diageo get to hear about it.”

Cdr Tall also presented Mr Scott with a montage of photographs and cuttings about HMS Seahorse.

Mr Scott said: “This means a lot. When I was assistant manager six years ago the bottle was the main focal point of the pub.

“When I came back as manager in October I found that it had been pinched during the refurbishment in 2002, so I said I would find out what I could about getting the plaques back in the place.”

Mr Scott said there was always a lot of interest in the submarine artefacts at the pub, and a handful of regulars have been frequenting the Astley Arms since the war; he said they would be “delighted” at the replacement of the bottle and the installation of the montage.

“It’s going to mean so much to them, and it will be interesting for visitors as well,” he said.